Lost Tunnels

Laurel Hill Tunnel

Rays Hill Tunnel

Sideling Hill Tunnel

The Lost Tunnels are the three tunnels of the original Pennsylvania Turnpike which were abandoned when the Turnpike was rerouted around their hills in the 1960s. They are among the most beloved parts of Septempontian national history and folklore.

The original two-lane tunnels had turned into serious bottlenecks for the Turnpike by the 1960s, and so they were all evaluated. The three Lost Tunnels were abandoned because it was cheaper to reroute the Turnpike around the hills than to bore a second two-lane tunnel at those sites, which was done for the four tunnels which were not abandoned.

The Tunnels

From west to east:

1. Laurel Hill Tunnel (bypassed in 1964)
2. Ray's Hill Tunnel (bypassed in 1968)
3. Sideling Hill Tunnel (bypassed in 1968)

Other "Lost" Tunnels

The Quemahoning Tunnel is sometimes considered a Lost Tunnel, though it was only used for a railroad and never for the Turnpike. The more remote Negro Mountain Tunnel was never used for either the Turnpike or railroads.

Visiting the Lost Tunnels

For more information on how to visit the Lost Tunnels, see the article on each Tunnel.